Edgemoor Neighborhood Association (ENA) Meeting – October 23, 2023, 7-9 pm
Neighborhood Meeting at Lairmont Manor: The first in person neighborhood meeting since 2019 was presided over by ENA Secretary, Sandie Koplowitz. There were 40 attendees at the meeting, including ENA Board members. Light refreshments were served. ENA business agenda items were moved to the end of the meeting.
Small and Simple Grant: The ENA received a $5,000 Small and Simple Grant from the City of Bellingham to send a newsletter and postcard to Edgemoor residents, provide a neighborhood social at Bayside Swimming Club, and create neighborhood signs which will be posted at major entrances to Edgemoor Neighborhood.
Newsletter Report: Sandie reported the newsletter was sent by postal mail in July 2023 to 884 homes. Mailing labels were provided by Tracy Lewis, assistant to the Mayor. Postage cost for 900 stamps was $594 and printing cost for 1000 trifold, double-sided, prints with two tabs was $335.10 from Applied Digital on James Street. We only received 8 “return to sender/unable to forward” newsletters. We received 20 “help keep our mailing list current” forms and added 24 new email addresses to our Mail Chimp email list. ENA received $315 in tax-deductible contributions.
Neighborhood Pool Party: Kate Covell reported the Pool Party was attended by 16 residents with one guest family of 6 who had the pool to themselves. It was a chilly and misty evening, which accounted for the small number of attendees.
Neighborhood Sign: Barbara Zielstra thanked those who submitted comments about the proposed Edgemoor Neighborhood sign, which will be posted at entrances to the neighborhood. For those who haven’t noticed the new Fairhaven Neighborhood sign, there is one located on the right just after turning onto Cowgill from Hawthorn. A graphic artist has been hired who designed the sign for the Roosevelt neighborhood. Sign concepts must be approved by the Bellingham Arts Commission prior to implementation. Ideas will be posted on Nextdoor for feedback from residents.
Update on the Jones subdivision, aka The Woods at Viewcrest: Larry Horowitz presented an excellent Power Point presentation outlining the environmental issues of concern in Mud Bay and the cliffs along the waterfront. Visit https://mudbaycliffs.org/videos to view videos of the area.
Chuckanut Community Forest Parks District: Barbara Zielstra reported The Chuckanut Community Forest Park District has achieved its goals and has dissolved as of September 21st, 2023. Read more at https://www.chuckanutcommunityforest.com/ and https://cob.org/project/chuckanut-community-forest-master-plan.
Mayors Neighborhood Advisory Commission (MNAC): Emergency Planning – Bill Beer shared information on disaster preparedness. Visit https://cob.org/services/safety/emergencies/be-prepared for more information.
LED School Signs: Barbara Zielstra reported that due to community response, the proposed LED sign for Lowell Elementary School has been placed on hold.
Metal Shredder Proposal: Bob McCarthy reported there are efforts to stop the proposed metal shredder from being established on Marine Drive. There are also efforts to fight the scrap metal pile at the Port of Bellingham. Since established, South Hill and other residents have complained about the noise and dust caused by activity at the scrap metal pile. You may have noticed the “Don’t Shred on Bellingham” signs posted around town. Visit https://bellingham.savethewaterfront.org/ for more information.
Treasurer’s Report: Bob McCarthy reported on the following income and expenses:
- Account balance as of 23 October: ~$975
- Contributions to ENA: $340 (thank you!)
- Expenses:
- Website: $150 (reimbursed by city)
- Registration with Secretary of State: $20 (will be reimbursed by city)
- Costs for Newsletter and the party this summer: $974.33 (will be reimbursed by city as part of Small and Simple Grant program)
- Deposit on design for sign: $225 (will be reimbursed by city as part of Small and Simple Grant program)
Minutes: The minutes from the previous ENA Meeting were approved.
Meeting adjourned at 8:50 pm.
Submitted by ENA Secretary, Sandie Koplowitz
- Current ENA Board Members:
- Sandie Koplowitz, ENA Secretary
- Bob McCarthy, ENA Treasurer
- Bill Beer, MNAC Representative
- Barbara Zielstra, MNAC Alternate
- Larry Horowitz, Planning and Land Use Chair
- Terry Montonye
- Paul Scott
- Bill Wright
- Kate Covell
- Lincoln Vander Veen